Establishing The House Democracy Assistance Commission For The 110th Congress

Floor Speech

ESTABLISHING THE HOUSE DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE COMMISSION FOR THE 110TH CONGRESS -- (House of Representatives - January 30, 2007)

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Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 24, which will reestablish the House Democracy Assistance Commission for the 110th Congress.

I was honored to be appointed by Speaker PELOSI to serve as a member of the House Democracy Assistance Commission during the last Congress, and I am proud of the accomplishments that were made by the Commission. I want to commend Representative DAVID DREIER and Representative DAVID PRICE who worked tirelessly during the 109th Congress to fulfill the mission of the Commission, and John Lis who worked tirelessly as the Commissions Staff Director.

The HDAC built upon Congress's long history of helping emerging democracies around the globe. Many of my colleagues will remember the informal Frost-Solomon Task Force which worked during the early 1990's to provide invaluable technical assistance and equipment to Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Russia. When the HDAC was created, former Congressman Frost commented that the work of the Commission, ``means a great deal to members of foreign parliaments because it demonstrates that elected leaders in the United States care about what happens in their country.'' The work of this Commission may not be noticed by many of our colleagues or even our constituents, but it is vitally important to support and strengthen parliaments of new democracies around the world

In 2006, the commission was active in Afghanistan, East Timor, Georgia, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, and Macedonia. I was glad to join the House Democracy Assistance Commission delegation to Lebanon and Kenya. During the trip, the delegation met with our counterparts in the Lebanese National Assembly and the National Assembly of Kenya. In Kenya, the delegation visited the Kimana Health Center and the Sinet water project, both of which were then dedicated in honor of Representative DAVID DREIER and DAVID PRICE, respectively.

The final leg of this trip was to a meeting with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Liberia is home to the first female head of state in all of Africa and is a country founded by freed American slaves, it is essential that the United States remain actively engaged in helping to build Liberia's fledgling democracy.

Madam Speaker, the House Democracy Assistance Commission has only begun its important work. With the approval of this resolution, the Commission will be able to continue to spread its good work with an ever expanding list of partner countries.

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